Therapeutic agent



Aug. 21, 1951 1 W 2,564,773

THERAPEUTIC AGENT Filed Feb. 4, 1950 INVENTOR.

STANLEY M. WADE mfiwu, $215127 ATTORNEYS Patented Aug. 21, 1951 V THERAPEUTIC AGENT Stanley M. Wade, Santa Rosa, Calif., assignor of one-half to-John R. Wiederrich, Lodi, Calif.

Application February 4, 1950, Serial No. 142,437

2 Claims.

The present invention relates to improvements in atherapeutic agent. It consists of the combinations, constructions and arrangements of parts, as hereinafter described and claimed.

An object of my invention is to provide a therapeutic agent which is an improvement over the device shown in my United States Letters Patent No. 2,452,813, dated November 2, 1948. In that patent I disclose an initially closed tube that may be inserted in a body incision or cavity for catching any liquid draining therefrom. The tube is closed by a plurality of wings which open when the device is placed in a cavity and hold the device in place. The pointed wings cause discomfort to the one using the device because they contact the cavity wall.

An object of my invention is to provide a therapeutic agent in which an apertured thimble has a smooth exterior surface and is placed within the entrance end of an elongated thinwalled and flexible sack. The sack is considerably longer than the length of the thimble and the excess length of the sack is folded within the thim'ble interior before use.

In one form of the invention the thin flexible wall of the-thimble is spaced from the'still thinner and more flexible wall of the sack portion that encloses thethimble so that the wallof the cavity in which the device is mounted will bear against the more yielding sack wall rather than the thimble'wall. The device will cause less discomfort to the wearer.

A further object of my invention is to provide a device of the type described which is simple in construction and durable and efficient for the purpose intended. I

Other objects and advantages will appear in the following specification, andithenovel features of the device will be particularly pointed. out. in the appended claims. v I

My invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawing forming a part of this application, in which:

Figure 1 is a longitudinal section through the device, the sack being extended from the thimble anda portion of the sack bein shownin'elevation;

Figure 2 is a longitudinal section through the device illustrating how the sack can be folded within the thimble;

Figure 3 is a longitudinal section through the thimble;

Figure 4 is a view similar to Figure 1, :but shows a slightly modified form of the invention;

Figure 5 is a sectional view of the form shown over the outer surface of the thimble.

in Figure 4, and illustrates the closed sack end folded within the thimble; and

Figure 6-is a longitudinal section through-the modified form of thimble.

While I have shown only the preferred forms of my invention, it should be understood that various changes or modifications may be made within the scope of the appended claims without departing from the spirit of the invention.

In carrying out my invention, I provide an apertured thimble A that is preferably made out of plastic and has a thin flexible wall. In the form shown in Figure 3, the thimble is cylindrical in shape and has a reduced and curved portion I at one end and a rib or outwardly extending flange or rim 2' at the other end. The thimble may be of any size desired, this depending upon the size of the cavity or incision into which the device is to be inserted. The end I is curved inwardly to afford a more ready insertion of the thimble into the cavity.

I providemeans for catching any fluid draining from the cavity and passing through the apertured thimble. A thin-walled sack B, preferably made-from latex, has an open end slipped The rim 3 of the sack mouth preferably coincides with the rim 4 of the thimble as shown in Figure 1', and the portion of the sack disposed adjacent to therim will frictionally engage with the curved portion I of the thimble soas to cause this sack portion to adhere thereto.

The thin-walled sack will also contact the flange 2* and this will cause the sack portion disposed between the flange andthe part that contacts the curved portion of the thimble, tobe spaced from the cylindrical wall portion 5' of the thimble as clearlyshown in Figure 1. Normally the part of the sack extending beyond the thimble is folded into the interior of the thimble-as illustrated in Figure 2. This makes the device compact in size for shipping purposes. Should anadhesive orv some fastening means be necessary to secure the sack rim 3 to the thimble rim 4, this may be done.

In Figure 1, acavity or incision is'indicated at Gin ahuman body indicated at D. The de- Figure 2 shows the sack folded so that the lower closed end thereof will have its mouth portion 3a facing the thimble opening 4 and in line therewith. The portion of the sack extending below the thimble in Figure 1 is approximately twice the length of the thimble. Therefore the sack can be folded into the thimble in the manner shown in Figure 2. Fluid will drain into the lower closed end through thetemporarily formed mouth 3a and the weight of the liquid will cause the closed sack bottom to move out of the thimble first and the sack will assume the position shown in Figure 1.

The thin-walled sack is spaced from the outer surface of the thimble for the greater part of the length of the thimble so as to space the wall of the cavity from the thimble. The thimble wall although flexible, is less yielding than the thinwalled sack. Less discomfort will be experienced by the user by the spacing of the sack from the thimble than would otherwise be the case if the sack contacted the thimble throughout its length. A slightly modified form of the invention is illustrated in Figures 4, 5 and 6. The thimble E in this form hasan outwardly flared body rather than cylindrical as in Figure 3. The modified form of thimble has a reduced curved portion 1, similar to the portion l. The outer diameter of the other thimble end 8 is equal to the outer diameter of the flange 2 and the thimble body is made slightly conical from the portion 1 to the end 8. i

The sack B for the thimble E is identical to the sack B and corresponding reference numerals will be given excepting that those for the form shown in Figure 4 will be primed. The inner surface of the sack disposed adjacent to the sack rim 3' will contact with the outer surface of the thimble.

The modified form of the invention will be used in exactly the same way as the first-mentioned form. The extensible portion of the sack B is folded into the interior of the thimble E for making the device compact for shipping purposes. The closed end of the sack will retain any liquid seeping from the cavity and passing through the hollow thimble. The sack when distended can be grasped for removing the device from the body cavity.

The device is especially designed for receiving drainage or excretion from an incision, cavity or any orifice in the human body; for frequent micturation; for catching the discharge of acute venerial infection. The device can also be used for the female menses.

I claim:

1. In a therapeutic agent of the character described: a tubular-shaped thimble having a bore extending therethrough between upper and lower ends thereof; this thimble providing a flexible thin-walled body, the upper portion of which curves inwardly from all sides toward the axis of the bore, thereby facilitating insertion of the thimble into an incision or cavity of a patients body; the thimble having an exterior annular flange projecting outwardly from the lower end thereof in surrounding relation with the thimble body: and a flexible thin-walled impervious sack having an open top and a closed bottom; the thimble being positioned entirely within this sack and covered exteriorly thereby, with the top of the sack disposed substantially in registry with the upper end of the thimble; the sack defining an upper section frictionally engaging with the inwardly-curved thimble portion, and further fitting tightly over the thimble flange; that part of this sack section which is disposed between the flange and the inwardly-curved portion of the thimble being spaced outwardly from the thimble body to provide a trapped air space extending circumferentially around and along the greater length of the thimble, and this part of the sack being yieldable to pressure; the lower section of the sack below the thimble flange depending from the thimble and being foldable upwardly into the confines of the thimble.

2. In a therapeutic agent of the character described: a tubular-shaped thimble having a bore extending therethrough between upper and lower ends thereof; this thimble providing a flexible thin-walled body, the upper portion of which curves inwardly from all sides toward the axis of the bore, thereby facilitating insertion of the thimble into an incision or cavity of a patients body; the thimble having an exterior annular flange projecting outwardly from the lower end thereof in surrounding relation with the thimble body; and a flexible thin-walled impervious sack having an open top and a closed bottom; the thimble being positioned entirely within this sack and covered exteriorly thereby, with the top of the sack disposed substantially in registry with the upper end of the thimble; the sack defining an upper section frictionally engaging with the inwardly-curved thimble portion, and further fitting tightly over the thimble flange; that part of this sack section which is disposed between the flange and the inwardly-curved portion of the thimble being spaced outwardly from the thimble body to provide a trapped air space extending circumferentially around and along the greater length of the thimble, and this part of the sack being yieldable to pressure; the lower section of the sack below the thimble flange depending from the thimble and being foldable upwardly into the confines of the thimble; the walls of said lower sack section being conical-shaped and converging downwardly to facilitate upward folding thereof into the thimble.

STANLEY M. WADE.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 599,955 Beach Mar. 1, 1898 2,291,191 Scudder July 28, 1942 2,305,453 Martos Dec. 15, 1942 2,452,813 Wade Nov. 2, 1948 FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date 363,976 France May 18, 1906 

